Artifact 12: Portrait Writing Lesson Plan

Anne DeCock

5/20/2010

Lesson Plan Title: Portrait Writing

Grade, Subject: 6^th, English and Reading

Objectives:

Students will practice generalizing about people they know well and like.  Students will write a paragraph giving details to support one of their generalizations. 

Academic Standards:

B.8.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

• Write a narrative based on experience that uses descriptive language and detail effectively, presents a sequence of events, and reveals a theme
• Use a variety of writing technologies including pen and paper as well as computers
• Write for a variety of readers, including peers, teachers, and other adults, adapting content, style, and structure to audience and situation

Materials:

-One “Portrait Writing” sheet per student.

-One rubric per student.

  

Lesson Management:

-Have all had-outs ready at the front of the room. 

Anticipatory Set and Prior Knowledge Assessment:

-Remind students of recent practice with generalizations.

-Discuss the difference between generalizing about a group and an individual.

Teacher Input:

-Explain the assignment.

-Circulate throughout the room and assist were needed. 

Guided Practice:

-Students write generalizations about three people they know well and like. 

-Students write a paragraph giving details to support one of their generalizations. 

Closure:

-Ask students to share these pieces with the people they wrote about.

Assessment:

-Students grade themselves with rubric for assistance.

-Instructor checks students evaluation and gives final score.

Portrait Writing                                     Name: ______________________________

• In one well developed paragraph, describe the personality of an individual you know and like very much.
• Before you begin writing: Brainstorm on the back of this page 3 people you could write about and a generalization about each of them. 
• Begin with a clear generalization about personality.  The body of your paragraph should support your generalization with brief stories and relevant details.
• By the end of the paragraph your reader should have a sharp sense of the individual personality of the person you chose to write about.